Barcelona are reportedly pushing to keep Xavi Hernandez beyond the summer. The Catalans have struggled to find a suitable replacement for their current coach ahead of the next season.
Language Barrier Takes German Boss Off Barcelona Radar
Searching for Xavi’s Replacement
Xavi announced his decision to leave the club after a 5-3 defeat against Villarreal in late January. In a post-match press conference, he vowed to walk away from the “cruel and unpleasant” job at the end of the season.
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Since then, reports about Barcelona’s search for a new manager have intensified. Several elite coaches have been linked with a summer move to Camp Nou, with Hansi Flick being considered as the frontrunner to land the job.
However, Barca’s interest in signing the “Guardiola-like” manager appears to have cooled down in recent weeks.
Communication Remains a Priority
According to The Athletic, Flick has already been approached by Barcelona. However, his lack of fluency in English or Spanish has generated doubts about his ability to effectively communicate with the squad.
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The Blaugrana are also linked with Thomas Tuchel, who is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the campaign. However, the 50-year-old’s recent sackings at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern make him a tough pick as Barca look for a more reliable option.
Xavi U-Turn?
Since announcing his exit in late January, Xavi has led Barcelona to eight wins and three draws in 11 matches across all competitions. The Catalans have completely bounced back from their disappointing run at the beginning of the year.
Keeping the former player has emerged as a possible scenario for the team, who has struggled to find a suitable replacement.
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Xavi’s excellent track record of promoting La Masia talents makes him hard to replace amid the club’s well-documented financial issues. On Saturday, Barca vice-president Rafa Yuste said (via Daily Mail): “Xavi knows what we want.
“It’s his decision. What I’m going to do as far as I can is to try to convince him to continue.”
Xavi has remained silent on the possibility of staying in Barcelona. The 44-year-old manager is expected to announce his decision at the end of the season.
